How to Get Through the New Puppy Stage

Puppies are adorable, all cute and cuddly. He is playful and explores his new home as you watch him with joy. Then he piddles, and you scramble. He waddles his chunky puppy butt into the bedroom and you follow behind rescuing socks, shoelaces and your son's underwear from his little puppy teeth. Nighttime falls and you tuck your new puppy into his crate. Just as you are snuggling into your bed and closing your eyes, you hear the beginning of whimpering and whining. Sharp yips of distress shrill through the pillows you have stuffed on top of your ears. It is time to train your puppy.

Things You'll Need

  • Leash
  • Chew toys
  • Crate
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Instructions

    • 1
      Get on your puppy's level and look for items it could damage and remove them.

      Get on your hands and knees to puppy-proof your home before you bring the new dog home. Remove items such as electrical cords, sharp objects or anything that might be harmful to the puppy if it chews on the item. Remove any items that you do not want destroyed. Keep items out of reach of your puppy until it masters obedience.

    • 2
      Take your puppy outside often to teach it to go potty.

      Train your puppy to go potty outside. Avoid yelling or reprimanding the puppy during training, as this will inhibit the training process. Be vigilant and take the puppy outside any time you see signs of sniffing or circling. Do not let the puppy have free reign in the house until completely potty trained.

    • 3
      Teach your puppy to follow commands, such as sit.

      Start obedience training between the age of seven weeks and sixteen weeks old. Teach simple things the puppy can learn easily such as "come," "sit" and "stay" during this stage. Start your puppy's leash training at this time as well. The earlier you start training, the quicker your puppy will learn what is expected of it.

    • 4
      Do not step around the puppy; make it move for you.

      Teach your puppy that you are the one in charge. Dogs are pack animals and used to having clear boundaries between them and the leader of the pack. Make your puppy move if it is sitting in your seat or lying where you need to step. Do not allow the puppy in your bed, eat first and then feed the puppy and make your puppy follow you; do not allow the puppy to lead you.

    • 5
      Puppies need to chew, so give your dog toys to gnaw on.

      Give the puppy chew toys to redirect it from gnawing on pillows or furniture. Puppies chew when they are stressed or to ease the pain of teething. They also chew to explore the world around them, much as a baby mouths everything it can fit in its mouth. Offer frozen carrots, tough plastic dog toys and chew ropes to your puppy for chewing.

    • 6
      Harsh yelling will teach your puppy to fear you.

      Redirect the puppy gently, but do not punish unwanted behavior. The puppy will not know what you are getting mad about. It could become nervous or scared because of harsh discipline. The puppy will learn to fear you as opposed to realizing that it has done something wrong.

    • 7
      Put your puppy in a crate to keep it out of trouble when you're gone.

      Crate the puppy after it is eleven weeks old, when its bladder and elimination needs can be physically controlled. By crating the puppy for an hour or two at a time while you are gone, you are keeping the puppy safe and stopping destructive behaviors before they start. Keeping your puppy in a crate at night will allow it to feel secure.